When vegetables are roasted — cooked in a hot oven with little or no liquid — their exteriors become crisp and caramelized and their sweetness concentrated, giving them a comfort-food appeal that you just don't get from a raw carrot stick or steamed broccoli floret.

"It makes vegetables so tasty that even people who don't like a certain vegetable find that they really love it," said Andrea Chesman, author of "The Roasted Vegetable" and other books on vegetable cookery.

"I have found converts among brussels sprouts haters. And I myself have never been a big fan of parsnips, but roasted parsnips are really wonderful."

The basic technique is simple — rub the vegetables with oil and season with coarse salt and a few grindings of pepper, then cook in a hot oven (400 F or higher), stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are lightly browned and tender.

You can add all sorts of accents — rosemary, garlic or mustard on potatoes; goat cheese or parmesan sprinkled on roasted asparagus; or balsamic vinegar on pearl onions, to name a few.

While roasting vegetables is a humble technique, it makes frequent appearances in chic restaurants.

"I like the flavor profile you get when you roast," said Crescent Heights chef-owner David McIntyre. "You can just blanch a vegetable, but when you roast it, you give it a more caramelized flavor."

McIntyre's secrets for success include using a good-quality olive oil for coating the vegetables and a very hot oven. "You want to use a high temperature so you can get that caramelizing and browning," he said. "If you cook it at a low temperature, you will cook out the liquid. You want to kind of sear the liquid in so it maintains the natural flavor and juice."

Roasting is often associated with the root vegetables and hard squashes of fall and winter, but it's equally suitable for spring's asparagus and new potatoes or summer's tomatoes and eggplant.

"It adapts really easily to all the different summer vegetables, like summer squash and green beans," said Chesman. "They cook a little quicker, but it's the same process."

REASONS TO ROAST

Flavor and versatility aren't the only selling points:

If you're trying to eat more vegetables for health reasons, roasting helps you along by cooking down and concentrating the veggies — and by making them so delicious that you just want to keep shoveling them in.

Chesman has learned to allow half a pound of green beans per person. "And when I roast green beans, they rarely even make it to the dining room," she added. "Everyone plucks them up from the roasting pan."

Got picky children? They're likely to be taken in by the sweetness of roasted veggies. "My own children never ate asparagus until I began roasting it," said Chesman, a mother of two boys who lives in Vermont. "I think it's because the roasting process brings out the sugars."

Roasted vegetables are great on their own or as a side dish with meat, but they can also be incorporated into pastas, tucked into sandwiches or used to top a tart or pizza.

Roasting also can be economical. It can turn some of the least expensive items in the produce section — potatoes, cauliflower, carrots — into fare fit for a special occasion.

As far as which vegetables are suitable for roasting, I keep adding new ones to my list. Carrots, parsnips, potatoes and onions are traditional choices. Some years ago I learned how roasting transforms asparagus. Then I discovered the happy results of roasting cauliflower, butternut squash and brussels sprouts. And recently green beans and broccoli have joined the roster.

Chesman, who has published several other cookbooks since "The Roasted Vegetable," said she still turns often to roasting. "When I'm not experimenting with a recipe, it's my go-to way of cooking vegetables," she said. "Everybody likes it, and it's so easy."

RULES FOR ROASTING

— Cut vegetables for roasting into uniform-sized pieces.

— Use a heavy metal roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet just large enough to hold the vegetables in a single layer. If the vegetables are piled up, they will steam rather than roast. If they are widely spaced, they may get too hot and burn. The pan's sides should not be more than 2 inches high. Lightly oil the pan or spray it with nonstick spray to make cleanup easier.

— Vegetables shrink as some of the moisture cooks out. This is what concentrates the flavor. Take this shrinkage into account in planning how much to roast, especially with watery vegetables.

— Rub vegetables with oil or melted butter to help them brown. You can season them with salt and freshly ground pepper before or after roasting.

— An oven temperature of 400 to 450 F works for most vegetables, although some recipes call for 500 F. Toss or stir the vegetables once or twice during roasting.

— Roasting times vary depending on the vegetable, the thickness of the pieces and your own preference. Times can range from about 15 minutes for green beans or asparagus to an hour for large beets or turnips. The finished vegetables should be tender and browned in places but should not appear charred.

SOURCES: "The Roasted Vegetable" by Andrea Chesman; "Vegetables" by James Peterson

Preheat the oven to 400 F. If the asparagus stalks are thick, peel bottom half of each spear. Lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub spears to coat with oil and salt and pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes, until barely tender. Remove from oven, sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and return to the oven for another minute. Serve with lemon wedges.

Preheat oven to 450 F. On 2 rimmed baking sheets, toss broccoli and cauliflower with oil, garlic and lemons; season with salt and pepper. Roast until vegetables are browned and tender, about 25 minutes, rotating sheets from top to bottom and tossing vegetables once halfway through.

Preheat oven to 450 F. Lightly oil a large roasting pan or 2 large baking sheets. In a small bowl, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar and garlic. Arrange green beans in a single uncrowded layer in the pan. Drizzle sauce over beans and roll until evenly coated.

Roast about 15 minutes, until beans are well browned and tender, shaking pan occasionally to ensure even cooking. Transfer beans to a serving bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.